Shades of the Past
by Akari Jaganashi
Summary: The Princess of Youkos, Aikou Yami sends for a young Lightning demon named Akari Jaganashi who becomes her bodyguard and friend. Along with Youko Kurama, they'll endure in a friendship that'll last for hundreds of years.


Shades of the Past  
  
By Tyler Furlong and Aikou Yami  
  
In the depths of the forest of the Demon World, a young lightning demon named Akari Jaganashi was running to the Silver Tail Youko Palace after receiving a message from Princess Aikou Yami. Appearing as a blur as he ran through the dark forest until he arrived at the palace where the Silver Tailed Youkos lived. Akari slowly walked up the gates until he was stopped by a booming voice.  
  
"Stop right there!" a guard, said as he pointed his spear at Akari, who was standing still like a statue.  
  
"Let me in." the impatient demon said, staring at the aggravated guard.  
  
"No, I won't!"  
  
"Have it your way then."  
  
Akari jumped into the air and kicked the guard upside the head, knocking him down to the dirt-covered ground. More Youko guards ran outside to surround the intruder, preparing to attack him.  
  
"Charge!" one of the Youko guards shouted, charging forward along with his fellow guards. Akari smirked and, in a flash of light, knocked out all of the guards.  
  
He just shook his head and said to them, "I didn't come here to cause you guards humiliation. I'm here because I got a letter from the princess."  
  
When Akari looked up, he saw a tall, female Youko walking towards him. "Well, I think the guards gave you `friendly' greeting." She said.  
  
"Yea I noticed." Akari said looking down at the letter.  
  
"So you came as promised, tell you the truth I never liked those guards anyway." Youko Yami said as she pointed at Akari, "follow me into my room there we can talk about the body guard thing." Akari nodded a followed Yami into her room. Yami signaled for Akari to stop, because she wanted to check her room before he stepped into it. "All right you can come in now."  
  
Akari just looked at Yami and he thought; ` I will never understand women.'  
  
Yami looked at Akari with a glare, he forgot that she could read minds. Youko Yami just looked at him a shook her head. He followed her into her room and looked around the room. "Yami, I don't want to be rude or anything, but this doesn't look like a princess' room more like a queen's."  
  
"I know it does because it's my parents room." Yami said looking down at the floor, "The Shinobi came to the Youko Palace and killed my parents." She looked over at Akari who was in deep thought. To Yami it looked like he was thinking about his past, so she didn't want to read his mind.  
  
Akari looked at Yami he was glad that she didn't read his mind because he used to work with the Shinobi. If Yami knew that he couldn't work for her. He wanted to tell but he couldn't at least not yet.  
  
Yami looked closely at the young lightning demon's brow and saw that some kind of cut was there. "Akari, where did you get that cut on your forehead?" she asked, making sure the words escape her mouth.  
  
Akari just smiled and suddenly, the cut on his head opened, revealing a big eye. Yami gasped and asked with a little stutter, "I-I-Is that a.?"  
  
Akari just nodded. "Yes, it's a Jagan eye I got 200 years ago in an operation," he replied. Yami sat down on the edge of her bed and asked,  
  
"Why?"  
  
Akari sat down next to her and replied, "200 years ago, my cousin Hiei was thrown from the Ice World and disappeared. since then, I've been looking for him and then I found out a solution. I decided to have an operation, where a Jagan eye was implanted into my forehead."  
  
Yami yawned and said, "Well, I'm gonna get some sleep. you stay on guard."  
  
"Yes, Princess," Akari replied.  
  
Yami laid herself down on the bed and soon closed her eyes. Noticing that she finally fell into deep slumber, Akari smirked and whispered to himself, "Now is my chance to sneak into the vault." He turned away from the door and snuck out of the room quietly. Akari looked around, there was no sign of the guards, and so then he used his lightning speed to dash towards the vault without being noticed. As he reached the entrance of the vault, he stopped.  
  
"At last." he muttered as he opened the vault's door. When he opened the door, he noticed a figure lurking in the darkness of the vault. Akari quickly drew out his katana and responded, "Who the hell are you?"  
  
The figure walked forward, revealing a tall, male Youko Fox; he's about 7'0" tall, had long silver hair and tail; along with golden eyes and pointy ears.  
  
"I should be the one asking THAT question," he said. "I am Youko Kurama."  
  
Akari gasped and replied, "The Legendary Youko thief?"  
  
Kurama nodded and asked, "Now it's your turn to introduce yourself."  
  
"I am Akari, the Lightning Demon from the Ice World. I am an assassin and a thief," Akari spoke.  
  
Kurama just smirked and said, "I take it you're a bodyguard for the Princess?"  
  
The Jagan eye glowed brightly with Akari's anger for Kurama and yelled, "I had enough of your pathetic babbling, you bastard!" He swung his katana at Kurama, but the swift Youko just dodged it and jumped over Akari's head.  
  
With a sly smile on his face, Kurama pulled a bright, red rose from his long, silver hair. "Rose Whip!" he shouted as he transferred his spirit energy into the rose, transforming it into a long, thorny whip.  
  
Akari smirked back at Kurama. "I know you Youkos have the ability to manipulate plants and turn them into deadly weapons," he talked back. Kurama just smirked and lashed out his whip out at Akari. Akari jumped out of the way but got cut on his left leg, blood spilling on the floor.  
  
"Why you.!!!" Akari screamed as he ran, even though his leg is injured, charging at Kurama and slicing him at the waist.  
  
"Gotcha!" he exclaimed as he stopped and looked at the injured Kurama, who was grabbing his bleeding side. "Now we end this!" Akari charged towards Kurama but then stopped immediately in his tracks.  
  
Kurama just laughed under his breath and said, "I'm surprised you didn't notice me planting the seed of the Death Plant into the cut on your leg."  
  
Akari just growled.  
  
Yami was twisting and turning in her bed, she woke up she had a terrible dream, that her bodyguard and her Youko were fighting one and other in her vault. But then she realized that Akari never knew about Youko Kurama, so it must have been a vision. She got out of bed and grabbed her robe and ran to her vault.  
  
She finally made it to her vault and opened the door. She noticed Youko Kurama bleeding from his side, and a paralyzed Akari who was bleeding out the leg. She ran towards the youko. "Kurama are you ok?" She asked to the silver-haired fox. She quickly changed her attitude; "You were trying to steal my treasure again, weren't you?" Then she glared at Akari, "To think I trusted you, maybe my Youko should leave you paralyzed."  
  
"No, it was his fault! He started it!" Akari complained.  
  
"Don't gave me that crap! This is the second time that Youko has tried to steal my treasure." Yami snapped at Akari. "Plus he won't start a fight until another person forced him."  
  
"S-s-second time?!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Don't you get it, Youko Kurama, the master thief is my Youko or should I say he is my boyfriend."  
  
*anime sweat drop* Akari stuttered, "Y-y-your boyfriend?!"  
  
Yami started to laugh and the only thing the Youko could do was smile.Yami turned to Youko Kurama and noticed that his wound needed to be treated now, and she knew that she couldn't leave Akari paralyzed. Or she needed Youko Kurama to tell him the secret of removing a death plant seed.  
  
"How the hell do I get this seed out of me?!" Akari shouted.  
  
The Youko holding his side walked up to the stationary Akari "You either have to use your own spirit energy to expel it or have me take it out." Youko walked behind Akari, "See, the second choice I would have to dig my fingers into your skin and pull it out of your back more painful than the first choice."  
  
Akari just smiled and said, "I'll go with choice one..."  
  
"Good choice, the seed will be out of your body within the next few hours." He nods and concentrates on his spirit energy, trying to rid his body of the plant manifestation.  
  
Yami looked at Youko Kurama then she smiled, "Kurama, you are going to have to sit down, I'm going to have to take care of that wound of yours." Kurama nods and is helped to the bedroom by Yami. She sits him down on the bed and then sits by him.  
  
"Kurama, I missed you." Yami said to him, "Can you remove your shirt so I can take care of your wound."  
  
"Sure," he replied as he removes his top, revealing the deep cut that Akari gave him.  
  
"I've missed you to Yami." Kurama hissed as Yami applied some herbs to help stop the bleeding.  
  
Two hours later, the footsteps of Akari walked towards Yami's bedroom. As Akari opens the door he notices Yami and a passed out Kurama on her bed.  
  
"Hey, is he okay?" he asked as he limps towards Yami.  
  
"Yes he is going to be fine, do you need help with your leg or do you think you can handle it?"  
  
"I think it might need a good bandage," he said.  
  
"Come here." Yami said pointing towards Akari," Now sit right there and I will help you."  
  
Akari sits himself down next to Yami, raising his left leg and rolling up his pant sleeve, revealing the cut.  
  
"Kurama got you good." Yami started to laugh at the injured Akari he glared at her. She grabbed some herbs that was by her bed and placed it on Akari's leg. Akari didn't give out any whimper and hiss when Yami placed the herbs on his cut. As she finished, Yami spotted bandages wrapped around his left arm.  
  
"Well at least you weren't a baby like my Rama, he hissed at me."  
  
"I've endured the pain throughout the years that I lived..." he replied.  
  
"So has he but they thing is I had to apply pressure to get the bleeding to stop." Yami looked at the silver haired Youko and brushed her hand across his face, then she looked up at Akari. "He's been alive longer than you."  
  
"I've lived for 400 years, Princess Yami... and I grew up alone," Akari said with sadness in his voice.  
  
"Don't be sad, the only family this Youko had was a band of thieves, but I really don't call that family. It seems that you and Kurama has lot in common."  
  
"Really? How so?" he asked.  
  
"Didn't have much family, or anyone to grow up with. I'm the only person that showed this Youko any kindness and now I'm showing you kindness." Akari turned to his bandaged left arm and unravels it, revealing a long, white tattoo of a tiger.  
  
"Where did you get that tattoo from?" she asked.  
  
"I had it since the day I was born. It's somehow similar to the legendary Dragon of the Darkness Flame."  
  
Akari replied. "I've heard stories of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame."  
  
Yami said, "My father used to talk of it sometimes, plus my mother also talked about a white tiger."  
  
Yami looked at Akari, "So have you tried to use the white tiger?"  
  
"Once, but it badly scarred my arm for a week," Akari replied.  
  
"I guess you haven't had proper training with it?"  
  
"Yea, I never was able to control it completely."  
  
"My mother was an excellent trainer, so I know how to fight, she also taught me how to control techniques like the white tiger and Dragon of the Darkness Flame, maybe since you are my bodyguard I can help you control you tiger?"  
  
"Really? I've been looking for someone who can help me control it," Akari replied with excitement.  
  
"Settle down, boy, I will help you tomorrow, and if you ever try to steal from my vault again, I will have Youko paralyze you again and he will remove the death seed the second way, do I have myself clear."  
  
"Uh..." Akari was lost for words when Yami made that statement.  
  
"Well come on say something," Yami said.  
  
"When can we start training, Princess Yami?" Akari asked.  
  
"I said `tomorrow'. Weren't you listening?"  
  
Akari lightly blushes and says, "Oh yea... hehe..." *anime sweatdrop* Akari just blushed and smiled slightly at the young Youko Princess.  
  
Yami just smiled at the lightning demon and asked, "Would you like a place to sleep?"  
  
"That's very kind of you but, no thanks. I'd rather stay up and keep on eye out on things just in case those guards fall asleep," Akari replied.  
  
Yami crept to Kurama's side and laid down by him. "Well, good night, Akari," she said softly as she fell asleep.  
  
Akari smiled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He sat down by the door, and crossed his arms. The sleeping Youko opened one of his eyes and noticed a sleeping Yami at his side. He just smiled at her.  
  
"I should get going." He said softly so that he wouldn't wake her. Kurama got off the bed looked at her on more time. He turned to walk away from her, he couldn't leave until he gave her a good night kiss. So he walked back to the sleeping princess. He knelt down and gave her a kiss on the cheek then walked out the door, only to notice Akari right outside the door.  
  
"Hey Kurama. I see that you're leaving," he said, although his eyes are closed.  
  
"I can't stay here, I know if I get to close to her, something is going to happen to her." Kurama's expression saddens.  
  
"Hey, I suffered long enough with bad luck..." Akari replied, looking up at the sad Kurama.  
  
"But you just don't understand, all the Youkos in this palace really hate me since I now own the title of the `Legendary Bandit', if I get to close to Yami, oh you won't understand."  
  
"I'm doing what's best for Yami."  
  
"Hey, don't worry... I've been a thief for over 300 years, Kurama... and don't forget, I'm protecting her."  
  
"I'm leaving, please don't let anything happen to her." Kurama said to Akari and leapt out the nearest window, Akari ran up to the window where he jumped out and noticed him run into the Makai Forest.  
  
Akari smiled and said slightly, "Take care of yourself, Legendary Bandit Youko Kurama."  
  
Yami turned in her sleep, opened one of her eyes and noticed her thief wasn't there. "Where did he go?" She said sleepily, "Well there is only one way to find out." She got out of bed and opened her door and noticed Akari right outside of her door. "Where did my Youko go?"  
  
"He left... he said the Youkos here except you hated him because of his reputation," Akari replied.  
  
"I know that, he just wants to protect me." Yami looked at Akari, "But I wish that he would stay here longer."  
  
"Hey, I'm a thief but the guards don't hate me.." he explained.  
  
"It's different, you're not our kind."  
  
"I'm a cursed hybrid, that's what I am..."  
  
"I've been trying to get everyone in this castle to accept him, but they don't listen to me."  
  
Tears start to filled Akari's eyes and as the tears fall, they turn into pearl-like stones.  
  
"They think he is going to steal from them, Akari are you all right?" But the tears he's crying aren't of sadness, but of happiness. "It looks like I found someone who has the same personality as me," he said. "I have to find him, I have to make sure that he is alright, I would even give up my princess duties to be with him." Akari stood up and said, "What?!"  
  
"You heard me, he means the world to me."  
  
"I've been looking for Hiei all my life... and I still can't find him... I just want to know where the hell he is!" he exclaimed.  
  
"I know I can't give up my princess duties it's silly of me to think of something like that. I've heard that name before, I heard that he was picked up by a band of thieves."  
  
Then, the words Yami spoke struck him in the ears. "You... you heard of him?" he asked.  
  
"Yes I have, he was caught by a silver tailed Youko."  
  
Akari thought real hard on whom this Youko might be. "I think that Youko was Kurama! I saw Hiei thrown off the island 200 years ago and he was caught by a Youko!"  
  
"I knew that to that is part of the reason why Kurama leaves at night to make sure that the band of thieves are taking care of him." Yami turned to Akari, "I didn't know the little demon was your brother."  
  
"He's not my brother... he's my cousin... he's a fire demon while I'm a lightning demon," Akari explained.  
  
"You never told me how he was related to you."  
  
Akari looked out the window and noticed that it was already dawn, "Man the sun's up already."  
  
"Time flies." Yami said, "But I'm pretty sure that you will find your cousin someday." Yami looked at Akari she had tears in her eyes, part of the reason was sadness for her Youko, but the other reason it was tears on happiness for Akari. Akari looked down at the Heiroseki stones and picked them up. He looks at Yami and placed them in her hand. "Here, take these," he offered.  
  
"I can't do that, I can't own them." Yami started to cry, as soon as one of her tears hit the floor it crystalized into a crystal rose. "They are for who ever you cried them for and it sure wasn't me."  
  
Akari just took one Heiroseki stone and made it into a necklace and handed it to her. "You are one of the people I cried for, Princess Yami." he said.  
  
"Thanks, can you put it on me?" Akari nodded and tied the pearl necklace around Yami's neck.  
  
"There."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Yami said to him as she picked the crystalized rose off the ground. "Want to know something I'm the only Youko that can actually do that." She said this as she pointed to the rose. Akari looked down and picked the rose up.  
  
"I thought only Ice Maidens can do that," he thought out loud.  
  
"Really only Ice Maidens. Last time I checked you were a guy." Yami teased, "Actually it runs in my family." Yami said, "Forming roses anyway, not gems."  
  
"Hey, part of my heritage is from an Ice Maiden named Rina, who is my mother," he said.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't help it." Yami started laughing at him.  
  
"Well, it's okay..." Akari said.  
  
"I'm sorry." Yami turned Akari, "So when do you want to start your training?"  
  
"Soon as after we eat breakfast," Akari replied.  
  
"Men and their appetites." Yami shook her head "Follow me." Akari followed Yami to the dining room and was placed into a seat.  
  
"I will go get my servants, one more thing what do you want to eat?"  
  
"Whatever you like," Akari replied.  
  
"Now they can't decided for themselves, do I have to do everything around here?" Yami mumbled to herself, but Akari heard her anyway.  
  
'What is with women these days?' Akari thought.  
  
"I heard that."  
  
Akari forgot about Yami's ability to read minds. Yami left the table to go find her cook. As Akari sat there, he remembers the previous Dark Tournament he has fought in and begins to have very violent memories.  
  
Yami returned with her cook, but before he got to the stove she slapped him upside the head for sleeping in. "I hate my servants Akari they are never up when you need them."  
  
Akari moaned and started to sweat from all the memories he's having.  
  
"Are you even listening to me? Hello!!!" She yelled at him.  
  
Akari snapped out of his bad memories and looked up at Yami. "Sorry, just remembering previous fights I was in," he said.  
  
"Now tell the man what you want, because I'm not going to do it for you." She said as she pointed to the cook, "I've already ordered."  
  
"Well, I would like toast, eggs and bacon if you got 'em," he ordered.  
  
"We sure do," the cook said, "be done in a few minutes."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
The cook didn't answer him until he was done flipping the eggs. "No problem."  
  
Akari rolled up his left sleeve and stared at the white tiger imprinted on it.  
  
"Why do you always look at your arm?" Yami said as she placed her hand on his. "You will be able to master it."  
  
"It might make me a powerful warrior at the Dark Tournament once I master it," he explained.  
  
"You're already strong enough." Yami said, "I've seen you fight at the Dark Tournament."  
  
"If I remember, you were a referee, right?" he asked.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
Akari smiled at her and said, "I won that tournament four times already."  
  
"You must like fighting, if you enter that vile competion." Yami said to him, "Tell you the truth that's how I first met Youko Kurama about 200 years ago."  
  
As the two were talking the cook came to the table and placed the plates in front of the two. "Thanks," Akari said as the cook left. "Well, I am never going to that tournament again!" he shouted as he slammed his fist on the table.  
  
"Would you behave, I would kill you if you break this table!" Yami shouted in his face  
  
Tears start to fall down Akari's cheeks when Yami shouted at him. "I never knew that you were quite this sensitive." Yami stared down at her food, "I'm sorry, but you don't need to slam your hand on my table."  
  
"I was...defeated.... 32 years ago....by.a human," he complained.  
  
Yami started to giggle, "Maybe I should get a different body guard, if you can't even beat a Human in the Dark Tournament."  
  
"But he was different from his teammate, who wished to be alone.... that man's name was Toguro, he wished to be the highest level of demon..."  
  
"That woman was the psychic who created the Spirit wave...." he muttered.  
  
"The grand psychic Genkai, she's weak compared to my psychic abilities."  
  
Akari just smirked and giggled. "Don't be fooled with her abilities, Yami. She has incredible spirit energy and psychic abilities," Akari replied. Then before Yami could reply to Akari's statement she heard thumping on the window next to the table.  
  
"Let me go check it out," Akari replied as he ran to the window. When Akari reached the window he noticed that it was only Youko Kurama. "Kurama? What are you doing here?" He completely ignored Akari and kept his eyes on the beauty eating.  
  
*Anime sweatdrop* 'Oh boy, here he goes...' he thought. Youko Kurama finally noticed Akari standing before him,  
  
"Well are you going to let me in or what?" Akari sighed and opened the window and let Youko Kurama in.  
  
"Thanks Akari, I was so fixated on Yami."  
  
Akari rolls his red eyes and replied, "Whatever you say."  
  
Kurama punched Akari in the face but not enough to hurt him, "Don't roll your eyes at me." Akari just stood there after Kurama punched him in the face, unfazed by it. "Never mind, guards never have a since of humor."  
  
"It's who I am, Kurama... " Akari said, unwrapping the bandages around his right arm.  
  
"I rather be Yami's body guard than you." He said this as he walked off to join Yami.  
  
"Sheesh, I'll never understand these Youkos," Akari whispered.  
  
"We're playful creatures." Akari was surprised that Youko Kurama heard him. Akari sighed and walked out of the palace and into the gardens.  
  
Yami finally noticed her Youko behind her, "So how are you?"  
  
Kurama just smiled and replied, "Pretty good... but there is something unusual about Akari."  
  
"I know Akari is unusual, do you want to come with us do to some training?"  
  
"What kind of training?"  
  
"I'm going to teach Akari how to use his tiger."  
  
Kurama scratched his head. "Tiger? Does he have a pet or something?"  
  
Yami started to giggle and slapped him on the chest, "You would say something like that, and just common you will understand it later." The two Youkos walked out to see Akari standing in the middle of the garden. The sky started turning gray and storm clouds started forming. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed as Akari begins to power up to fire his Tiger wave.  
  
"Oh that kind of tiger." Youko Kurama said.  
  
A misty, white aura started to form around Akari's body and lightning began to strike his arm like a lightning rod. Yami moved away from her lover and position herself in front of Akari. "Akari I want you to shoot your tiger straight at me, and don't hold you back." Yami shouted to her bodyguard. Akari turned around and pulled his right arm back, his eyes glowing blood red. As he was about to fire the wave, his shirt started to rip. "Tiger... of... Heaven's Lightning!" he screamed as he fired the wave.  
  
Yami started to glow as she went under another transformation; a staff appeared in her hands, "Shadows of Darkness Shadows of Death I call upon, the Foxes of the Night to destroy my foe." Yami's staff generated dead fox spirits. And they attacked Akari's Tiger of Heaven's Lightning, and in a big explosion both powers completely vanished.  
  
Akari fell to his knees and held his right arm, which was badly burned from firing the wave. Yami was still on her feet, "I cut that to close."  
  
"Yeah, I'll say," Akari replied.  
  
"Well do you notice anything different about me?"  
  
Akari smirked and said, "I knew I sensed something different about you... you had some kind of weird type of energy."  
  
"You're talking to the Legendary Sorceress Youko Yami." Yami replied, "Spirits of Darkness lend me your power, lend me the power to heal Akari's arm and replenish his demon energy." Akari felt Yami's spell take effect on recovering his demon energy and revitalize his injured arm. "Does your arm feel better now?"  
  
Akari nodded and replied, "Thanks Yami... maybe today, I'll take you and Kurama to a place where I'll steal something valuable."  
  
"And what would that be?"  
  
Kurama ears perked up, "I heard the words stealing and valuable."  
  
"You heard it right, Kurama... we're gonna steal some valuable treasures at a nearby palace 10 miles from here," Akari replied.  
  
Yami put her left hand on her hip and grabbed Kurama's ear with her other hand, "You're not going to steal again are you?"  
  
Youko Kurama grabbed Yami's hand that was grasping his ear, "Well at least it isn't from you."  
  
"Yami, it's time you learned how to live the way Kurama and I do," Akari exclaimed.  
  
"I'm no thief." Yami crossed her arms.  
  
"Well... I can tell you are having a tough time being part of royalty," Akari said.  
  
"I guess it really shows, your right what do I have to lose." Kurama smiled and walked closer to Yami.  
  
"Well, shall we be going?" Akari asked.  
  
"Sure." Kurama scooped Yami into his arms and ran off into the forest, with Akari in front of them. 15 minutes later, they arrived at the large palace. With great ease, they braved through the gates and tried not to get caught by the guards. As they made into the vault, Akari picked the lock and opened it carefully.  
  
They moved into the vault without anyone noticing them. They were able to snatch a few valuables from the vault and snuck out. As they did, a guard spotted them and alerted the other guards. "We've got to move faster!" Yami shouted. The three demons ran as fast as they can from the guards. As soon as they pasted the gates, Akari struck the rope and the gate lowered, blocking the guards.  
  
"Nice move Akari." Youko Kurama said.  
  
"Thanks Kurama," Akari replied. As he was running along with them, he struck in the shoulder by a rock-like blade.  
  
"Akari are you alright." Yami said as she took a dead stop but Kurama just kept running not noticing that Yami stopped to make sure that Akari was fine.  
  
As Akari pulled the rock out, he said, "They're here..."  
  
"Who is here?" Yami asked.  
  
Akari gathered enough courage and replied, "My Shinobi sect."  
  
"They are going to pay for this!" Yami shouted, "Come on out you bastards. Your ancestors murdered my parents!"  
  
Out of nowhere, five figures appeared in front of the three thieves. The leader of the sect, Risho stepped forward and said, "Akari, how dare you abandon our sect!"  
  
"What do you mean abandon your sect?!" Yami shouted in anger.  
  
"He said he wanted to leave the sect after receiving a letter from some filthy Youko," Risho replied.  
  
"Filthy Youko, you're looking at her you bastard!" While holding her staff in battle ready position.  
  
Akari blocked Yami and said, "You and Kurama get out of here. I'll hold them off."  
  
"I can't let you do this alone, You don't have to protect me anymore, I'm not the princess anymore."  
  
"I don't care!! You're more important to me than those treasures! As your bodyguard, it's my duty to protect you!" he exclaimed.  
  
Kurama rushed back and grabbed Yami, "Yami, leave him be, this is his problem." Kurama looked over at Akari, "Take care of yourself." Akari nodded and smiled back to her. Then he turned away to fight his former sect members.  
  
As Kurama ran away, Akari caught a glimpse of Yami crying. "DON"T YOU DIE ON ME!!!!" Yami shouted, her face was full of tears.  
  
Cries and shouts of a battle can be heard from a distance. "Kurama, please let me go, I've got to help him."  
  
"Yami you would only get in his way." Youko Kurama said while holding on to Yami, preventing her from running to Akari. As Akari progressed in his battle against Risho, one of the other members of the sect, Gama, attacked Akari from behind by marking him with his demon makeup.  
  
Akari was paralyzed he couldn't move. He knew he probably wouldn't make it through this battle. Risho laughed and said, "You shall die for betraying your sect..."  
  
"You son of a bitch!" Akari said as he spat in Risho's face.  
  
Risho looked at Akari, with this astonished look on his face, "Prepare yourself, your death is going to be long and painful." From the distance, Yami and Kurama could hear the screams of pain, which belonged to Akari. Yami started to cry, she knew that Akari wasn't going to make so she turned in Kurama's arms and started to cry on him.  
  
As Akari fell onto the ground, Risho and the sect turned and walked away. But only two members of the sect stayed behind. Jin and Touya kneeled before their fallen comrade. "It's not your fault, Akari," Jin said, "you did what you thought was right."  
  
Touya looked up and saw Kurama and Yami walking towards them. Yami ignored the two sect members next to Akari and ran to his body. "Akari... Akari..." Akari's body laid there, motionless and his eye closed.  
  
"I'm sorry for what happened," Touya said to Yami, "he was a good warrior but there was nothing Jin and I could do."  
  
"You're not sorry, You could have prevented this, but no you just stood there!" Then, Yami felt a hand placed onto her face. "Akari..."  
  
Akari slightly smiled, "Hey... don't blame them.... they could have, but if they did, they would have been killed."  
  
"I don't care about them, I care about you, you're my friend, damn it Akari you should have let me help."  
  
"Then you would have been killed too..." Akari turns to look at Kurama and says, "Take care of her, Kurama... Don't worry... I will return... " With one last breath, Akari goes limp in Yami's arms.  
  
"AKARI!!" Yami hugs his dead body, "You can't go you can't.."  
  
Kurama looks down at Akari's body and thinks, 'What does he mean, I will return?'  
  
Yami stands up wipes her tears away and looks at Kurama. "If you would have let me go none of this would have happened."  
  
Kurama shook his head and replied, "This was his choice to make, Yami, not yours."  
  
Kurama looked at Yami, "Yami do you think Akari would be happy if I let you die." But before Yami spoke, Akari's body began to disappear and then it was gone completely. "Wait a second bodies just don't disappear like that."  
  
Yami looked at her Youko, "This is no time to be kidding around."  
  
Kurama shook his head, "It wasn't me... it was Akari."  
  
"I know it wasn't you, I'm going home." Yami and Kurama turned away to the palace, leaving Jin and Touya wondering.  
  
"Well, Touya, what do you think just happened just now?" Jin asked.  
  
"When he said he will be back, I didn't since his soul leaving towards Spirit World, I felt it leaving to the living world."  
  
Jin looked at his friend and said, "So, you mean he's..."  
  
"He will be reborn."  
  
ONE YEAR LATER....  
  
Youko Kurama was sitting in Yami's room watching her sleep, 'Well at least she's gotten over Akari's death.' Kurama turned away and jumped out the window, on his way to rob a palace far away. He didn't want Yami to follow her because he didn't want her hurt.  
  
While in her sleep, Yami was having visions of Kurama in the robbery of the palace... along with that, she saw visions of a human boy with blue hair and blue eyes. Yami was wondering in her sleep who was that little boy with blue hair. She saw him 'grow up' in her visions to a teenage boy. Yami was startled when she started to recognize the boy.  
  
Yami woke up, 'Akari is alive' Yami thought `but that isn't right, he died a year ago.' When she discovered the identity of the human boy, one of her guards rushed in. "Your highness! I have urgent news!"  
  
"Yes what is it."  
  
"Youko Kurama has been slain by a pursuer."  
  
Yami was in shock she could believe it, "You said what?" The Guard said, "Youko Kurama has been killed." Yami fainted she couldn't believe it. Then she felt a hand shake her. Yami finally opened her eyes, she was hoping that it was Kurama shaking her.  
  
Instead, it was a demon with black, spiky hair and red eyes. He wore a black cloak and a white headband. "Are you all right?" he asked.  
  
"No, I'm not alright." Yami said this as she sat up. "My best friend was slain a year ago, then my boyfriend." Yami started to cry.  
  
"Well, I was looking for my cousin, Akari... have you seen him?" the young demon asked.  
  
"Yes, he died a year ago, if you are looking for your cousin then you must be Hiei."  
  
Hiei gasped, his eyes widened. "Akari... is dead?"  
  
"He was killed by the Shinobi Sect. A year ago on this date." "Well, I just found out Akari's alive... in the human world." Hiei replied.  
  
"I had a vision about it in my sleep."  
  
Hiei smiled at her and asked, "You wanna see him?"  
  
"I would like that, I wish I could have seen, Youko Kurama before he died." "About that... his body disappeared the moment he was killed."  
  
"You're not making a joke are you?"  
  
"Princess, I'm a demon of my word... it seems he's gonna go the same way that Akari did a year ago..." Hiei replied.  
  
Yami smiled, "I'm sorry, I went against your word, please let's go see Akari and Kurama. "  
  
Hiei smiled and led Yami to a portal to the human world.  
  
The End. 


End file.
